Shell-plate-bending machine



S. J. ROBISON.

SHELL PLATE BENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, I918.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

5 SHEETSSHEET 1.

OOOOOOOO S. J. ROBISON.

SHELL PLATE BENDING MACHINE- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1918.

1,358,396,, Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

S. J. ROBISON.

SHELL PLATE BENDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, I918.

1,358 396, Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

8.1. ROBISON.

SHELL PLATE BENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1918.

1,358,396. Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4. 20.

S. J. ROBLSON. SHELL PLATE BENDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10, 1918.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

5 $HEETS-SHEET 5- [ii UNITED STATES SIDNEY J. ROBISON, 0F PENSACOLA, FLORIDA.

SHELL-PLATE-BENTDING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 9, 1920.

Application filed June 10, 1918. Serial No. 239,192.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, SIDNEY J. R'oeIsoN, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Pensacola, county of Escambia, State of Florida, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Shell-Plate- Bending Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to methods and means for bending metal plates and permanently setting the resultant curvature thereof in accordance with predetermined requirements; and more particularly to means for bending and warping heavy steel shell plates for ship bottoms, such asare now required for the merchant marine, as Well as plates for certain kinds of war craft in- -.luding destroyers and submarines.

The main objects of the invention are to provide rapid and eflicient means of improved character and great strength adapted for bending and forming such plates when cold into the required shape; to provide means of the character described adapted for adjustable preliminary setting to produce various forms, both regular and irregular in shape, as for different sizes of hulls and for difl'erent parts of the shell; to provide improved means for holding the plates and for applying the bending force thereto in a positive and definite manner and without any injury to the plates; to provide fluid pressure actuated means of improvedform for supplying the necessary power to bend the plates; to provide means adapted for ready manual operation tocontrol the fluid used for supplying and distributing the necessary power; and to provide for insuring permanent setting of the shape before the plate is released from the forms after bending.

l-leretofore various means, all more or less unsatisfactory and inadequate for present needs, have been employed for bending shell plates, both when hot and when cold. Owing to the difficulties of bending the heavier plates when cold, it has been customary to form such plates only at a few of the larger plants where the necessary heaters were available. Although there are certain obvious advantages in using the larger sizes of plates, and in bending them cold, the limitations of the bending devices of the past have tended to unduly limit the size and thickness of plates used. Now, however, there is a very urgent need for powerful machines in thev various ship yards adapted for cold bending of the largest and heaviest shell plates to be used on the bulls of merchant ships and transports, and the present invention answers these needs.

Illustrative embodiments of this invention are shown in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of one embodiment of the invention, the foundationbeing in section.

Fig. Q is a plan of the embodiment of Fig. 1, the middle part being broken away.

Fig 3 is a side view of a stationary sheave mounting.

Fig. 4 is a plan of said mounting.

Fig. 5 is'an end view of said mounting.

Fig. 6' is aside view of a form lift or filler block.

Fig. 7 is a view of one of the chain anchorages.

Fig. 8 is a section at AA on Fig. 7.

Fig. 9. is a conventional diagram of con nections for the fluid pressure members and control apparatus therefor when the valves are assembled in a group on a common panel.

Fig. 10 is an enlarged detail showing how the fluid is controlled bya three-way valve.

Fig. 11 is a side view of an adjustable form having radial threaded bearing rods.

Fig. 12 is an edgewise view of the form of Fig. 11 as viewed from the right.

Fig. 13 is similar to Fig. 12 except that a double form is shown instead'of single.

Fig. 14 is a side view of an adjustable form having longitudinally slotted radial bearing plates, adjustable longitudinally.

Fig. 15 is an edgewise view of the form of Fig. 1e as indicated by the section line B-B of Fig. 14.

Fig. 16 is .a side view of an adjustable form dilfering from Fig-14: in the shape of the frame on which the radial bearings are mounted.

'cept that it is provided'with a ridge 2 on I'beams'adjacent to said plate Fig. 21 is a plan or" the saddle shown in Fig.20.' I Fig. 22 is a plan of part ofthe ad ust-'- ment feature for the plate holder.

Referring to Fig. lthe bending machine 1 is mounted rigidly on a concretefoundation 2, which is rectangular: in plan to cor-. respond with the shape oi the machine as a whole. Said foundation is fiat on top, e2:-

one side. It is only deep enough to pro vide'a rigid support tor the m'achiu and extends only slightly above the level or. the ground 2. A pair of Z-ba are mounted side by side inspaced relation adjacent to the side oi" the foundationwhich is opposite {from the ridge 2, and a plate 4 is mounted on said ridge, said bars and plate having their upper faces in horizontal aline'ment and being secured in place by anchor bolts 5 embedded in the concrete. A series of I-beams 6 are mounted transversely of said Z-bars and plate in spaced mutual relation across the length of the foundation 2, and said beams are fastened rigidly in place on said'bars and-plate. "A channel bar 7 is disposed across the ends oi said and. is. secured to said beams by means of angle irons 8 which are ta-stenedby rivets or the like. An angle bar '7 is disposed crosswise on said l-beams' adjacent to their line of centers and is fastened rigidly toeach beam. These bars 7 and 7 serve as tie rods for stillening the device. Said-bars and-beams constitute'a' rigid bending-machine frame whereon the plate holding and bending mechanism proper may be securely mounted. {Plate holding means comprising complementary members 9 and 10 are disposed in a. row on that side otthe tramewhich is adjacent tothe bearing plate 4 and channel bar 7, said membersbeing adapted to receive and securely hold the lower edge of the plate 11 which is to be bentJ- Preferably both members 9 andlO are adjustable lengthwise of the bars 6. One oi? said memhere 9 toward the bar 7 is also adjustable otherwise, as will be explained, and is adapted. to serve as a form whereby the ultimate shape or" the plate isdetermined. It is provided with a'conve gly curved edge orbearin'g face 9 to receive the plate and limit: its bending.

The complementary member holder is in the form of a triangular stop or 10 of each brace with one side disposed uprightly adjacent to the form 9 but spaced therefrom sufficiently to receive the plate 11. Said members'Q and 10 are secured adjustably to the beams 6 by means of bolts 12. The

forms 9 may be of various sizes and they may be ad usted or modnied in several Ways as hereinafter described to shapes as may-be desired.

7 In order to bend the plates over said produce various form s 9, tension means are provided in the form.

of chained?) suitable for applying the necessary force directly to the plates, and these chains are actuated by means of pistons 14 operating in cylinders 15, power being supplied by fiuid pressure which is controlled manually as hereinafter described. Each chain is operatively connected to the corresponding piston by means of a piston rod or plunger 16, an equalizing sheave 17 mounted on the outer end of said rod, and a pair of sheaves 18 positioned on the beams (3 back of and between each pair of forms 9, whereby the direction of pull is chang d from horizontal to a direction more or less nearly approaching; the vertical depending upon the stage of the bending operation. Each chain 13 extends from the sheaves 18 upward over and down the opposite side of the plate 1.1, and the two ends are secured, by means of supplemental anchorage means 5 short chains 13, to the corresponding 1- beams 6.

Each anchorage chain 13 isprovided on oneend with a hook 19 adapted. to engage any link of chain 13, and atits other end is orovidedwith an oblon 'platedinlr or be 1' 2O terminating at its remote or lower end in a threaded shank 20 of bol like Chara tor. Instead of engaging these ends Q0 directly with the flanges ot the l-beams as might be done,.an adjustable. is pro vided comprising an angle bar l soinew iatshorter than the distance bet een centers oi said beams and having clamping means on each end adapted to grip the lower flanges of adjacent beams 6. Each of said means 22 includes a yielding plate secured at its inner end to the upwardly facing outer or. one of the flanges of the bar 21, said bar and the free end of each of said plates being perforated in registry to reeei the bolt shanks 20. respectively whereby upon ti. ening the nuts 20" the clamps may be set tightly on the I-beam flanges at any poiu desired, said flanges being received hetwce. the outer tip of plates 22 and the bar 21.

Gne'of these adjustable anchorage bars'Zl chain will not yield and the plate will be bent against the forms.

i fhenever 1t 1s deslred to bend a plate uniformly so as to impart cylindrical curvature, the form members used are all alike and are in alinement, and the braces are likewise disposed in due holding relation to said members 9. lVhen', as usually required for part oi the ship plates, a certain plate is to be curved more sharply at one end or point than another, the forms 9 are adjusted accordingly, as by substituting the appropriate shapes. Filler blocks 23 may be placed under any of the forms 9 if the desired curvature so requires. If the lower edge of the plate is to be left hat the plate may rest directly on the beams 6, but if the curve is to begin at or adjacent to said edge the plate may be held at such distance above said beams thatthe lower edge will register with or near the point on the form 9 where curvature begins as at 9". Loose supports or filler blocks as are adapted for this purose. Whenever occasion arises part or all of the holders comprising the forms 9 and braces 10 may be adjusted somewhat toward or away from the axis line of the sheaves 18, so as to be. disposed in a horizontal curve of low pitch, whereby upon applying the chains and power to a plate which is not too large and thick a double curvature may be produced resulting in a somewhat dished form of plate, such curvilinear plates usually being required at or near the ends of the hull.

The power cylinders are positioned midway between the I-beams 6 alternately therewith and are disposed parallelly in a row. They are secured directly to the Z- bars 3 by bolts or the like engaging lugs 15 formed on the under side of said cylinders adjacent to the ends. A plank pl attorm 6 is secured to the beams 6 between the braces 10 and cylinders 15 whereon the workmen may stand.

Independent sources of fluid pressure are provided for forcing the piston torward away from the sheave 18 and for restoring same respectively, the one being for air pressure and the other for water. For this purpose main supply pipes or feeders and 26 extend lenfihwise of the platform 6 adjacent to said cylinders and the correspond ing branch pipes 27' and 28 for air and water are connected thereto at the nearand remote ends respectively, each through control. valves 80 of the three-way type located within reach of the attendant on the platform. A discharge main 31 is connected by branches 32 to the waste port of each of the water control valves, and said main 31 leads to the sewer for disposal of the water as it emerges from said cylinders. Each vent port of the air control valves is arranged to discharge directly into the air, as at 33, or the discharge may be pipedto a mufiler (not shown) if desired as will be understood.

Master valves 34: and 35 similar to valves 30 are provided one for each of said supply pipes 25 and 26 respectively, whereby the actuation of the pistons may be controlled from a single point, one of said master valves controlling the air and the other the water, in which case the individual valves for each cylinder are left open or partly open. These master valves are useful especially when uniform or cylindrical curvature is desired throughout the length of the plate to be bent. When the unit valves 30 are to be used the master valves are left open in their supply position.

Inv case the warping or bending is to be irregular or is to be greater or faster in one part than another, the operation of the pistons is controlled by the respective individual supply and waste valves. Various results may be obtained by setting these valves at mutually various degrees of open ing, whereby one part of the plate maybe bent more than another part. Forinstance, opening the water supply valves and closing the waste valves more at one end than at the other will cause a correspondingly quicker, and more extensive bending at the one end than at the other. In any event, the master valves may serve at any time to quickly stop all action. Moreover, the bending speed may be predetermined by said master valves by suitably setting same. The combined water and air for the power cylinders ofl'ers several advantages, including the quickly responsive action of the air and the more definite and positive operation of the slower acting water. I

The sheaves 18, which are all. disposed in axial alinement adjacent to and parallel with the channel bar 7, are mounted in series and arranged in pairs between the I beams 6, each pair being mounted on a short shaft 36-secured demountably to the upper side of said I-beams on journal blocks 37. Said sheaves are held in spaced relation adjacent to said blocks by means of sleeves 38 fixed on said shaft.

The sheaves 17 carried by the piston rods 16 are held horizontally by means of forked brackets or bearing supports 16' on the ends of said rods, the grooves of the horizontal sheaves 17 being in alinement with the grooves of the vertical sheaves 18, so that the chains where tangent to the lower side of the sheaves 18 extend horizontally to the sheaves 17. The sheave 1'? serves to equalize the tension of both branches of the chain and so equally divides the pressure on the ends of the saddles 39.

Each of the piston braekets'16' is pro vided on its lower side with a bottom plate 40 to keep the chain from dropping out of the groove of the sheave 17, eachof said plates being provided with upturned flanges opposite the points of tangency oi p the chains.

In order to protect the upper edgejof the plate to be bent from indentation by the chains, the saddles 39 are provided; Each is formed with two transverse bearing grooves 39'v adjacent to the ends to receive will be held stably in place both by gravity and the tension of the chains.

In case it is desired to have the curvature of the plate extend upward entirely to the upper edge, adifferent form of saddle 11 is provided asiillustrated in Figs. 20 and 21. One of these may be used for each branch of the chain. Each of the saddlesel (sometimes designated chain extensions) com prises a pair of plates 41 of oblongshape fastened together in spaced relation with ring bearings 12 carried by the bolts. or rivets l3 whereon the chain may rest. (hie end of each saddle plate is indented with a slot 44: adapted to receive the edge of the plate to be'bent, one side of the slot being curved somewhat in accordance'with the curvature to be imparted to the edge of said plate.

The machine as shown in. Figs. 1 and 2, being of sectional or unit character, may be longer orshorter depending on the number of units employed. Such machines are adapted to handle plates ranging in size upward to twelve feet wide by thirty feet long by e} inch in thickness, or even larger if required.

The adjustable form 50 shown in Figxll comprises a frame part 51 which may to advantage consist of a casting provided with suitable reinforcing ribs adapted t give suilicient strength and rigidity. 'The lower side of said form as at 52 is provided with holes to receive the bolts 12 whereby the form may be fastened to the I-beams '6 of Fig. 1. Said form is provided WlLh a convexly curved upper edge or face part- 53 having a series of threaded radial perforations 54 arrange'o in a row in such manner as to support a series of threaded shafts 55 which are disposed radially in a common plane. Said shafts are providedvwith bearing heads 56 on their outer ends adapted to receive the pressure of the plate'to be bent when the machine is used. Each of said shafts is'provlded-with a lock nut 57, so as to positively hold the adjustment when the form has been set for a given plate curvature. The several forms may be mounted substantially in alinement and the curvature for different parts of the plate may be determlned by v radially ad usting the bearing rods of the several forms. Said forms ma be made narrow as shown in Fig.

.is shown by Fig. 14.

Fig. 11, bllt the radially adjustable bearing members 61 areslotted longitudinally as at 62, and are secured to the frame 60 by horizontally disposed bolts 63 adapted to fit in the slots of said bearing members. This style of form is adjusted by loosening the bolts 63 and sliding the bearings radially either inward or outward, in order to produce the shape required. The inner face of each bearing arm 61 is corrugated or roughened to prevent slipping, and friction washers 64; are provided on said bolts between the form and said arms, saidwashers having their faces which are disposed against said arms correspondingly notched or roughened. V

Referring to Fig. 9 the fluid control valves may to advantage be grouped closely together for convenience in operation by a.

single attendant, in which instance a panel [.1 I I i a L 40 may be provided through whlch the valve stems may extend from the valves on the back side to handles 'il on the front side,

both for the master and unit valves, as will be understood. The position of each valve is shown by an index or pointer carried by each handle respectively and the several positions maybe designated by suitable signs orlegends on the panel, as shown in said re- 7 Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the operation of the bending machine is as follows: The plate to be bent is brought into position over the plate holders by means of an ordinary traveling crane or the like used in connection with the bending machine, as will be understood, the plate being suspended in a vertical position and disposed lengththe grooves of the plate protecting saddles.

The chains arethen drawn as taut as may be done convenientl 1 bhand and'en 'a ed Q L1 m by the anchorage chain books 19. The

operator or operators then proceed to apply the bending power by means of the fluid pressure controlling valves 30. The Lwater valves are turned to their waste position an the a r al s ar rs e their. upp y position so that as the water recedes from the rear side of the piston the latter is forced backward by air pressure on the front side, thereby drawing the piston rods and sheaves carried thereby toward the cylinders and causing the plate to bend downward and fit tightly against the form 9. After the plate is thus bent into the form desired it is set permanently in this shape by hammering its convex side in registry with the forms whereon it rests. This hammering may be done by hand or pneumatic hammers carried by the crane or otherwise supported may be used. In any instance the bending of course always begins near the lower edge of the plate and the line of active bending follows up around the convex form to the end of the curved part or to the upper edge of the plate. By selecting edge bending saddies of suitable shape the edges may be bent in any manner desired.

After the bending and setting are finished the pistons are reversed and the chains removed, whereupon the plate may be removed by the crane.

Although certain specific embodiments of this invention are herein shown, it is to be understood that no attempt has been made to show specifically all useful embodiments, and that numerous details of the constructions shown may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of this invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a plate bending device of the character described, an adjustable former comprising a quadrant frame, the convex side of which is provided with a rim having a series of threaded perforations, and a plurality of bearing rods mounted in said perforations with their inner ends disposed convergently, said rods being provided with lock nuts to prevent accidental change of ad justment and also being provided with bearing heads to receive the pressure of the plate to be bent. V

2. A plate bending device of the character described adapted for bending ship plates, comprising a form corresponding with the shape desired, means for holding one edge of a plate adjacent to a corresponding part of said form, freely flexible tension means of uniform character adapted for disposition around the outside of the plate for forcing the latter against said form member, means for applying power to said tension means, and saddle-like means adapted to fit upon and protect the free edge of the plate from indentation by said tension means.

3. A device of the character described including a tension member and a saddle comprising a pair of oblong plates secured together in spaced relation and notched at one end to receive the edge of a plate to .be bent, and bearing means adjacent to the opposite end adapted to receive the pressure of said tension member disposed between the ends of said plates.

4:. A plate bending machine comprising a frame including a pair of flanged beams spaced apart, a pair of form members mounted thereon respectively, tension means for forcing the plate to be bent against said form means and anchorage means for said tension means including a bar fitting transversely between said beams and having releasable clamping means at its ends for engaging the flanges on said beams respectively.

5. The method of bending metal plates into shapes adapted for use in constructing the shells of ships and the like, which consists in securing one edge of the plate to one edge of the form, then wrapping a series of chains disposed side by side about the opposite side from the form in a direction transverse to said one edge, then applying power to the chains in the direction of the form sufficient to force the plate into contact and conformity with the form, and then hammering the plate while held against the form, so as to set the curvature and prevent straightening when the chains are removed.

Signed at Pensacola this 13 day of May, 1918.

SIDNEY J. ROBISON. 

